I didn't know anything about Hokokuji Temple when I visited it early September this year. I didn't even know it was a Zen temple. All I knew was that it had a beautiful bamboo garden. Some writers/photographers of Japan Travel wrote about it, and all of them wrote highly of it without exception, which intrigued and drove me to finally visit it.
The bamboo garden in question didn't let me down. Although there were too many people to my liking in the garden, as soon as I stepped inside I exclaimed, ''Wow", and then "Wow", then kept shooting photos of it. Later my neck ached for looking up so much, but these tall bamboos were too magical to avert my eyes. If you come to Kamakura, you shouldn't miss visiting this temple.
Getting there
To access, fetch a cab or a Keikyu bus at JR Kamakura Station. It's about 10 minutes drive from the station.
More info
Find out more about Hokokuji Temple.
